Primary Navigation

Summer Courses in Communications Management

The decision to take a summer course is not always an easy one for students. What really motivated me: the opportunity to take a summer course with Virginia Healy-Tangney in the Communications Management program. Classmates that took her course could not stop raving about Professor Healy-Tangney.

My first night in MCM 481 went off to a great start. I learned a lot that evening about the material that we would be going over in the next 12 weeks particular about strategic communication and how important it is within an organization. We were assigned our first case that evening due for the following week, and I was ready to go at it right away, as I wanted to prove that my writing skills were at the level that was expected by Professor Healy-Tangney.

At the end of the third class, we were handed back our first case assignment. Throughout most of my writing experience, I have received both positive and negative feedback but nothing compared to the feedback I got back from Professor Healy-Tangney. Professor Healy-Tangney really analyzed my writing, filling any white space available with comments. However, her suggestions did not tear down what I did - if anything - it was asking for more enhancement of what I was writing. Her corrections forced me to really look at the structure of my writing, and how strategically I was answering the study questions and how I can do it even better in the future. I could have been frustrated by the feedback but I wasn't. Instead, I embraced Professor Healy-Tangney's feedback because it will only make me a better writer and critical thinker. I want to learn the skills to improve my writing and strategic communications. This summer course is providing me the opportunity to make mistakes with my writing in a safe environment. I will never have an opportunity like this again to gain the feedback I need to become a better writer and communicator. I am thankful I enrolled in this course and am determined to become a better communicator through my work in MCM 481.